1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved electric kettle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known electric kettle disclosed in particular in French Pat. No. 2,592,293 to the present Applicant comprises a water vessel closed by a lid and fitted with an electric heating resistor which is fixed on the bottom wall of the vessel. Said bottom wall rests in a removable manner on a base provided with electric connection means adapted to cooperate with complementary connection means attached to the bottom wall of the vessel.
The water vessel also comprises a temperature limiter which is sensitive to the temperature of the steam and adapted to cut-off the power supply at a predetermined temperature of the steam and a switch is provided for turning-on the supply of current to the resistor when the vessel is placed on the base.
In this design, the temperature limiter is placed at the top of the kettle.
The temperature-sensitive element constituted by a bimetallic strip is therefore directly exposed to the steam which is formed at the top of the vessel and which is at high temperature (in the vicinity of 100.degree. C.).
This temperature limiter cuts-off the supply of current to the heating resistor when the desired temperature is reached (in the vicinity of 100.degree. C.).
A control push-button serves to reset the temperature limiter. To this end, it is necessary to wait until the temperature-sensitive element of the limiter has cooled to a sufficient extent. Since this element is at a high temperature (at the water vaporization level), this element cools very slowly, with the result that it is necessary to wait too long in order to reset the temperature limiter.
There has also been described in European Pat. No. 254,482 a kettle removably mounted on a base, the upper portion of the vessel being provided with a control push-button for turning-on or turning-off the supply of current to the heating resistor. This control push-button cooperates with a link-rod system which is located within a lateral space of the vessel and serves to actuate a switching device located beneath the base of the vessel.
A link-rod system of this type is complex and affects the cost of manufacture of the kettle.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of known designs.